Troubled But Not Defeated

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you, Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid (John 14:27) 

Peace is defined as being free from agitation of mind or spirit; free from disturbance or turmoil. It is a state in which oppressive thoughts or emotions do not dwell within our heart. Sometimes peace of mind has more to do with what is being harbored in our heart than what is happening around us as we go about our daily activities. 

The peace that the world offers through wealth, possessions, entertainment and recreational activities is a short-lived peace because with the passing of time, it invariably is replaced with anxieties and fears. On the other hand, peace that comes from God is a lasting, enduring peace that will not fade away with the passing of time. When the peace of God reigns in our heart we can live every moment of every day confidently knowing that the all-seeing eye of God will be watching over us and will, if we allow him to do so, lead us safely through whatever betides us (Hebrews 4:13-16, Philippians 4:4-7, Isaiah 26:3, Hebrews 13:5-6). When Moses was 120 years old, he delivered his final message to all Israel in which he told them, "The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed (Deut. 31:8). While we live under a new and better covenant, there is not a shred of doubt in my heart that what was true for Israel is just as true for you and I today. 

John 14:1, "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me." Placing our trust and confidence in God and his Son, Jesus, we will have all the support we need to free ourselves from any heart trouble that threatens our peace James 4:6-10, 1 Peter:5:6-11). Isaiah 40:31, "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."  The antidote for the troubled heart: wait on the Lord, walk hand in hand with him, obeying him, leaning on him, trusting and confiding in him and every step of the way, living by faith in the Son of God (Galatians 2:20; Isaiah 12 :2-3). 

We are weak, frail human beings and things are going to happen to us that will cause our hearts to be troubled and sometimes those things will seem unbearably harsh but they must not be allowed to overwhelm us and take away the peace that passes all comprehension. We have limited abilities but we serve a powerful loving God in whom there are no limitations. We can be sure that when we talk to him, when we praise him for his love, goodness and mercy, when we pour out to him the feelings of our heart, he will answer (Philippians 4:4-7, Hebrews 4:13-16; Psalms 35:15-19, Psalms 121:1-3). 

I may not understand everything that happens to me in this life but this one thing I do know, the God I believe in, the God I serve, the God in whom my faith, trust and confidence lies does know and understand and because he loves me, I may be troubled in heart but it will never defeat me. 

Charles Hicks

 

 

We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord

 It Sure Is Good To Be Home 

We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:9)

 It seems that I have reached a point in my life in which I find myself often walking down memory lane. Sometimes the memories are filled with a touch of sadness and heartache. But more often than not, they are filled with memories of events that brought immeasurable joy into my life. It is one of those memories that inspires today's message. One day I told my wife that I was going to buy a motorcycle. Her response, You're crazy. Long story short, she loved riding that motorcycle with me. Over the ensuing years, we often would take off for several days on trips that would cover 2500 plus miles. Today, as I think about those trips, I remember how upon arriving back home, she would get off the motorcycle and say as only she could, it sure is good to be home.  As I sit here thinking about how she felt, the thought overwhelms me that one day I want to stand in the midst of the wonderful city of God and say to her, it sure is good to be home! Home at last, O what a day that will be.

 I remember the joy of those motorcycle journeys and at the same time I remember they were not always smooth and easy. Sometimes we encountered conditions that made them very difficult. Once, returning home from Madison, Wisconsin, we were caught up in a fierce thunderstorm. Thunder roaring, lightning flashing, wind howling and raining cats and dogs and we are out in the middle of nowhere with no shelter in sight. Believe me, we were thankful when finally, we did get to a place of safety.

 Now, the thought occurs to me that as we make our way through this life it will not always be an easy journey. God has never promised us that we will have a life free from difficulties, burdens or trials. He has promised that so long as our commitment to him remains sure and steadfast we will never encounter any storm of life that we cannot conquer (Rom. 8:28, 31-39. Heb. 2:16-18, Heb. 4:13-16, Phil. 4:6-7, Heb. 13:5-6).

 Hear the promise of the Lord made to Israel long ago, "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous hand" (Isaiah 41:10). There is not one ounce of doubt in my heart that this promise holds true for you and I today. He is the strength of our life and he will uphold us as we fight the good fight of faith against the afflictions and temptations of this life (Psalms 91:1-4, 121:1-8, James 4:7-10, 1 Peter 5:6-7, Phil. 4:13, Heb. 12:1-3).

 "Life's evening sun is sinking low, A few more days and I must go to meet the deeds I have done, where there will be no setting sun."  On that day I want to arrive on the heavenly shore and simply say, it sure is good to be home. How about you?

 Charles Hicks

 

Pure In Heart

Pure In Heart 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8) 

The World Book Dictionary defines the word pure as not mixed with anything else, unadulterated without defect, correct. Its companion word, Purity, is defined as free from moral corruption or evil, freedom from foreign or inappropriate elements. 

Purity of heart is one of the absolute requirements that must be met by anyone who desires to have a good standing before God. Under the Old Covenant, according to Psalms 24:3-5, there were four requirements for a good standing before God: clean hands, pure heart, truthfulness, and lack of deceit. Living lives marked with these attributes would result in blessings from God. Today, even though we live under a new and better covenant (Hebrews 8:7-13), is it not unreasonable that these same requirements are essential for us to have a good standing before God in order to receive his blessings and one day be at home with Him in heaven?

 Now, I submit to you that having clean hands, being truthful and not deceitful will be impossible without being pure in heart.  Proverbs 4:23, "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." Jesus proclaims in Matthew 12:34 that the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The eternal wellbeing of our soul depends in large part on the desires that are allowed to take up residence in our heart. Make no mistake about this, the desires of our heart will be a determining factor in the kind of zeal, enthusiasm and commitment we have for loving and serving our God.

  Psalms 37:3-7 Is a beautiful passage full of great advice that if followed will be of tremendous help as we strive to watch over the desires of our heart: Trust in the Lord and do good. . .cultivate faithfulness. . .delight yourself in the Lord. . .commit your way to the Lord. . .trust also in Him. . .rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. . .cease from anger and forsake wrath. . .do not fret.

 A pure heart is one that has been cleansed and justified through the redemption and forgiveness of sins by the blood of Jesus (Colossians 1:12-14). It is a heart evidenced by a constant, steady pursuit of things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and of good report (Philippians 4:8). It is a heart that diligently perseveres in seeking things above, a heart set on things above not the things that are on earth (Colossians 3:1-2; Matthew 6:19-21; Matthew 6:33; Romans 12:1-2). Eternal vigilance is the price we must pay in order to maintain the purity that will allow us to one day see God and be at home with him in heaven. We must dedicate our life to the Lord God with a commitment that runs strong and deep within our heart. Study very carefully Mark 12:30 and as you do, pay close attention to that little three letter word, all.

 If we are going to have that pure heart that will put our name in the Lamb's book of life and keep it there, we must be willing to commit our entire being, our entire life, everything we have to our God.  It truly is and must be as we sometimes sing, "None of self and all of thee." To God be the glory forever and ever!

 Charles Hicks